history of philosophy-第9节

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the　world　that　we　must　proceed　to　history；　and　in　particular　to　the　history　of　Philosophy。　

2。　EXPLANATORY　REMARKS　UPON　THE　DEFINITION　OF　THE　HISTORY
OF　PHILOSOPHY。

The　above　statement；　that　the　Truth　is　only　one；　is　still　abstract　and　formal。　In　the　deeper　sense　it　is
our　starting　point。　But　the　aim　of　Philosophy　is　to　know　this　one　Truth　as　the　immediate　source
from　which　all　else　proceeds；　both　all　the　laws　of　nature　and　all　the　manifestations　of　life　and
consciousness　of　which　they　are　mere　rejections　or　to　lead　these　laws　and　manifestations　in　ways
apparently　contrary；　back　to　that　single　source；　and　from　that　source　to　comprehend　them；　which
is　to　understand　their　derivation。　Thus　what　is　most　essential　is　to　know　that　the　single　truth　is　not
merely　a　solitary；　empty　thought；　but　one　determined　within　itself。　To　obtain　this　knowledge　we
must　enter　into　some　abstract　Notions　which；　as　such；　are　quite　general　and　dry；　and　which　are　the
two　principles　of　Development　and　of　the　Concrete。　We　could；　indeed；　embrace　the　whole　in　the
single　principle　of　development；　if　this　were　clear；　all　else　would　result　and　follow　of　its　own
accord。　The　product　of　thinking　is　the　thought；　thought　is；　however；　still　formal；　somewhat　more
defined　it　becomes　Notion；　and　finally　Idea　is　Thought　in　its　totality；　implicitly　and　explicitly
determined。　Thus　the　Idea；　and　it　alone　is　Truth。　Now　it　is　essentially　in　the　nature　of　the　Idea　to
develop；　and　only　through　development　to　arrive　at　comprehension　of　itself；　or　to　become　what　it
is。　That　the　Idea　should　have　to　make　itself　what　it　is；　seems　like　a　contradiction；　it　may　be　said
that　it　is　what　it　is。　

a。　The　Notion　of　Development。

The　idea　of　development　is　well　known；　but　it　is　the　special　characteristic　of　Philosophy　to
investigate　such　matters　as　were　formerly　held　as　known。　What　is　dealt　with　or　made　use　of
without　consideration　as　an　aid　to　daily　life；　is　certainly　the　unknown　to　man　unless　he　be　informed
in　Philosophy。　The　further　discussion　of　this　idea　belongs　to　the　science　of　Logic。　

In　order　to　comprehend　what　development　is；…what　may　be　called　two　different　states　must　be
distinguished。　The　first　is　what　is　known　as　capacity；　power；　what　I　call　being…in…itself　（potentia）；
the　second　principle　is　that　of　being…for…itself；　actuality　（actus）。　If　we　say；　for　example；　that　man　is
by　nature　rational；　we　would　mean　that　he　has　reason　only　inherently　or　in　embryo：　in　this　sense；
reason；　understanding；　imagination；　will；　are　possessed　from　birth　or　even　from　the　mother's
womb。　But　while　the　child　only　has　capacities　or　the　actual　possibility　of　reason；　it　is　just　the　same
as　if　he　had　no　reason；　reason　does　not　yet　exist　in　him　since　he　cannot　yet　do　anything　rational；
and　has　no　rational　consciousness。　Thus　what　man　is　at　first　implicitly　becomes　explicit；　and　it　is
the　same　with　reason。　If；　then；　man　has　actuality　on　whatever　side；　he　is　actually　rational；　and　now
we　come　to　reason。　

What　is　the　real　meaning　of　this　word？　That　which　is　in　itself　must　become　an　object；　to　mankind；
must　arrive　at　consciousness；　thus　becoming　for　man。　What　has　become　an　object　to　him　is　the
same　as　what　he　is　in　himself　through　the　becoming　objective　of　this　implicit　being；　man　first
becomes　for　himself；　he　is　made　double；　is　retained　and　not　changed　into　another。　For　example；
man　is　thinking；　and　thus　he　thinks　out　thoughts。　In　this　way　it　is　in　thought　alone　that　thought　is
object；　reason　produces　what　is　rational：　reason　is　its　own　object。　The　fact　that　thought　may　also
descend　to　what　is　destitute　of　reason　is　a　consideration　involving　wider　issues；　which　do　not
concern　us　here。　But　even　though　man；　who　in　himself　is　rational；　does　not　at　first　seem　to　have　got
further　on　since　he　became　rational　for　himself…what　is　implicit　having　merely　retained　itself…the
difference　is　quite　enormous：　no　new　content　has　been　produced；　and　yet　this　form　of　being　for
self　makes　all　the　difference。　The　whole　variation　in　the　development　of　the　world　in　history　is
founded　on　this　difference。　This　alone　explains　how　since　all　mankind　is　naturally　rational；　and
freedom　is　the　hypothesis　on　which　this　reason　rests；　slavery　yet　has　been；　and　in　part　still　is；
maintained　by　many　peoples；　and　men　have　remained　contented　under　it。　The　only　distinction
between　the　Africans　and　the　Asiatics　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　Greeks；　Romans；　and　moderns　on
the　other；　is　that　the　latter　know　and　it　is　explicit　for　them；　that　they　are　free；　but　the　others　are　so
without　knowing　that　they　are；　and　thus　without　existing　as　being　free。　This　constitutes　the
enormous　difference　in　their　condition。　All　knowledge；　and　learning；　science；　and　even　commerce
have　no　other　object　than　to　draw　out　what　is　inward　or　implicit　and　thus　to　become　objective。　

Because　that　which　is　implicit　comes　into　existence；　it　certainly　passes　into　change；　yet　it　remains
one　and　the　same；　for　the　whole　process　is　dominated　by　it。　The　plant；　for　example；　does　not　lose
itself　in　mere　indefinite　change。　From　the　germ　much　is　produced　when　at　first　nothing　was　to　be
seen　but　the　whole　of　what　is　brought　forth；　if　not　developed；　is　yet　hidden　and　ideally　contained
within　itself。　The　principle　of　this　projection　into　existence　is　that　the　germ　cannot　remain　merely
implicit；　but　is　impelled　towards　development；　since　it　presents　the　contradiction　of　being　only
implicit　and　yet　not　desiring　so　to　be。　But　this　coming　without　itself　has　an　end　in　view；　its
completion　fully　reached；　and　its　previously　determined　end　is　the　fruit　or　produce　of　the　germ；
which　causes　a　return　to　the　first　condition。　The　germ　will　produce　itself　alone　and　manifest　what　is
contained　in　it；　so　that　it　then　may　return　to　itself　once　more　thus　to　renew　the　unity　from　which　it
started。　With　nature　it　certainly　is　true　that　the　subject　which　commenced　and　the　matter　which
forms　the　end　are　two　separate　units；　as　in　the　case　of　seed　and　fruit。　The　doubling　process　has
apparently　the　effect　of　separating　into　two　things　that　which　in　content　is　the　same。　Thus　in　animal
life　the　parent　and　the　young　are　different　individuals　although　their　nature　is　the　same。　

In　Mind　it　is　otherwise：　it　is　consciousness　and　therefore　it　is　free；　uniting　in　itself　the　beginning　and
the　end。　As　with　the　germ　in　nature；　Mind　indeed　resolves　itself　back　into　unity　after　constituting
itself　another。　But　what　is　in　itself　becomes　for　Mind　and　thus　arrives　at　being　for　itself。　The　fruit
and　seed　newly　contained　within　it　on　the　other　hand；　do　not　become　for　the　original　germ；　but　for
us　alone；　in　the　case　of　Mind　both　factors　not　only　are　implicitly　the　same　in　character；　but　there　is
a　being　for　the　other　and　at　the　same　time　a　being　for　self。　That　for　which　the　〃other〃　is；　is　the　same
as　that　〃other；〃　and　thus　alone　Mind　is　at　home　with　itself　in　its　〃other。〃　The　development　of　Mind
lies　in　the　fact　that　its　going　forth　and　separation　constitutes　its　coming　to　itself。　

This　being…at…home…with…self；　or　coming…to…self　of　Mind　may　be　described　as　its　complete　and
highest　end：　it　is　this　alone　that　it　desires　and　nothing　else。　Everything　that　from　eternity　has
happened　in　heaven　and　earth；　the　life　of　God　and　all　the　deeds　of　time　simply　are　the　struggles　for
Mind　to　know　itself；　to　make　itself　objective　to　itself；　to　find　itself；　be　for　itself；　and　finally　unite
itself　to　itself；　it　is　alienated　and　divided；　but　only　so　as　to　be　able　thus　to　find　itself　and　return　to
itself。　Only　in　this　manner　does　Mind　attain　its　freedom；　for　that　is　free　which　is　not　connected　with
or　dependent　on　another。　True　self…possession　and　satisfaction　are　only　to　be　found　in　this；　and　in
nothing　else　but　Thought　does　Mind　attain　this　freedom。　In　sense…perception；　for　instance；　and　in
feeling；　I　find　myself　confined　and　am　not　free；　but　I　am　free　when　I　have　a　consciousness　of　this
my　feeling。　Man　has　particular　ends　and　interests　even　in　will；　I　am　free　indeed　when　this　is　mine。
Such　ends；　however；　always　contain　〃another；〃　or　something　which　constitutes　for　me　〃another；〃
such　as　desire　and　impulse。　It　is　in　Thought　alone　that　all　foreign　matter　disappears　from　view；　and
that　Mind　is　absolutely　free。　All　interest　which　is　contained　in　the　Idea　and　in　Philosophy　is
expressed　in　it。　

b。　The　Notion　of　the　Concrete。

As　to　development；　it　may　be　asked；　what　does　develop　and　what　forms　the　absolute　content？
Development　is　considered　in　the　light　of　a　formal　process　in　action　and　as　destitute　of　content。
But　the　act　has　no　other　end　but　activity；　and　through　this　activity　the　general　character　of　the
content　is　already　fixed。　For　being…in…self　and　being…for…self　are　the　moments　present　in　action；　but
the　act　is　the　retention　of　these　diverse　elements　within　itself。　The　act　thus　is　really　one；　and　it　is　just
this　unity　of　differences　which　is　the　concrete。　Not　only　is　the　act　concrete；　but　also　the　implicit；
which　stands　to　action　in　the　relation　of　subject　which　begins；　and　finally　the　product　is　just　as
concrete　as　the　action　or　as　the　subject　which　begins。　Development　in　process　likewise　forms　the
content；　the　Idea　itself；　for　this　we　must　have　the　one　eleme